US, UK suspend non-lethal aid to Syrian opposition

Rebel fighters hold a position on a front line in the Damascus suburb of Yalda on September 18, 2013 in Syria. (AFP Photo/Ward Al-Keswani) / AFP

Washington and London have stopped providing non-lethal aid to the Syrian rebels via Turkey after radical Islamists began to take control of the Free Syrian Army’s bases in northern Syria. Turkey has reportedly closed its side of the border with Syria.

On Friday radical militants from the Islamic Front seized several
premises belonging to the Supreme Military Council (SMC) of the
Free Syrian Army at the Bab al-Hawa crossing near the Turkish
border, reported Reuters.

The Islamic Front formed of six major rebel groups with strong
links to Al-Qaeda is believed to have captured warehouses with US
non-lethal aid already delivered to Syria.

The Islamists acting on their own accord gave no warnings and
provided no explanation for their actions.

It is yet unclear whether the Islamic Front worked in any way
with the Islamic State of Iraq in Syria (ISIS) or Al-Nusra, both
labeled terror groups by the US, in seizing the facilities.

“As a result of this situation, the United States has
suspended all further deliveries of non-lethal assistance into
northern Syria,” the US Embassy spokesman in Ankara said on
Wednesday, stressing that humanitarian aid distributed through
non-governmental organizations will not be impacted by the
decision.

The diplomat also announced that an investigation into the
incident is going “to inventory the status of US equipment
and supplies provided to the SMC.” The White House confirmed
the decision later in the day.

The move was also shortly dubbed by Britain. The UK's Foreign
Office said it is looking into the incident adding it "will
not be making any deliveries of equipment'' to the FSA while
that investigation is underway. However, assistance might be
resumed as soon as conditions on the ground could guarantee
"safe delivery'' of equipment.

It remains unclear what exactly was seized by the militants.
Under US laws, non-lethal aid may consist of radios, intelligence
assistance, body armor and medical supplies.

American political analyst Eugene Puryear of the ANSWER (Act Now
to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition told RT that the cutting
off of aid is an acknowledgement by the US of a war within a war
and that the US and its allies think they can still bring things
back under their control in order to reassert total hegemony over
the opposition.

“The Obama administration is right now seeing their original
plans, which was to - along with the Gulf states and the EU -
foment a civil war which would overthrow the (Syrian President
Bashar) Assad regime. They’ve seen that plan really completely
collapse,” Puryear said. “I think this attempt to cut
off aid, which I think we’ll see will be most likely
temporary...to send a message: If you want to continue receiving
all of these goods...then you’re going to have to play by our
rules.”

Puryear added that the struggle for control of opposition forces
is a complicated game for the US.

“[The US has] total control over the opposition more broadly,
but we’re seeing forces linked to Al-Qaeda, particularly, become
more assertive and seek to gain poll position, if you will,
inside the opposition coalition,” he said. “Yet the
Islamist groups are heavily funded by the Gulf states, which are
very much aligned with the US in the Syrian effort.”

The warehouse captured on Friday was a key stop on the supply
line through Turkey into Syria’s northwest. The Turkish-Syrian
border is now blocked in Hatay Province, an unidentified source
in the Turkish customs told Reuters. However, an official
confirmation is yet to follow. In October, local media reported
that Ankara had started building a wall along the border in
Mardin Province.

This is not the first attack of the kind. In late November,
radical militants associated with Al-Qaeda seized an entire
shipment to the Free Syrian Army, along with several members of
the FSA guarding the warehouse.